1939 aerial photo of Odana Pond. Odana Rd. runs along the top,
and Hammersley Rd. along the bottom.
Click here for a modern satellite photo.
By comparing the old photo to the satellite photo, you can see:
- The beltline cut through the SW corner of the pond.
- The ponds are now a bit smaller than they were previously, perhaps because mud was dredged from the center and used to fill around the shore.
- In 1939, the big pond was covered with vegetation, but now it is open.
- Two channels from the NW and SW fed the pond.
- It had no outlet. Water seeped through sandy soil towards L. Wingra, and also left by evaporation. So the level probably fluctuated. To prevent flooding of fairways, a stormsewer outlet to the SE was dug.
- A delta has formed where the storm sewer enters at the west end.
The notebooks and sketch maps of the original surveyors are online!
The section in question is T.7N, R.9E. Map link. Change the image to "extra large."
Notebook description, from center of Odana Pond (then a marsh) walking N, here.
The landscape is described by Orson Lyon: "Land except marsh rolling & 2nd rate. Timber Burr, White & Black oak. Undergrowth oak & grass."
Go here to find out how to read these notes.
